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Big Tech Is a Big Issue for The Walrus

Our latest print edition, now on newsstands, dives into the major anxieties of the digital era

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Big Tech Is a Big Issue for The Walrus

Our latest print edition, now on newsstands, dives into the major anxieties of the digital era

Published 6:30, AUGUST 10, 2026

“The Big Tech Issue.” These words loom over the masthead of the September/October 2026 print edition of The Walrus magazine. For an issue that focuses on the digital realm, this collection of reporting is rooted in a lot of analog processes: phoning human beings for interviews, meeting in person to discuss what stories make the cut, and working with designers who have some unconventional methods of creation.

The eye-catching cover is by Justin Poulsen, a conceptual still-life photographer and miniature artist whose work has graced a number of features for The Walrus. Poulsen uses a 3-D printer to make physical, miniature objects, then photographs them. The end result is blended digitally together. “His process is unique,” says art director Zoya Shepherd. “The contrast of his analog build and our high tech focus is what drew me to work with him.”

You can take a peek at how it came together here:

The resulting image captures the anxiety of the current moment perfectly. A teen (that’s a real-life boy, not a 3-D rendering) floats into the abyss, surviving on a smartphone life raft.

Senior editor Harley Rustad worked with contributing writer Luc Rinaldi on the marquee story of the issue, a feature that asks, “Is it too late to save our kids from social........

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